WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State right-handed pitcher Grant Adler was named American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week and infielder Garrett Pennington was selected to the conference’s weekly Honor Roll.

Adler was spectacular in his second WSU start, improving to 2-0 for the season with six dominant innings in the Shockers run-rule victory Sunday at Utah Tech. The Wichita native struck out 11 and allowed just one base hit while walking two. He struck out two batters in each of his first five innings and did not allow a Trailblazers runner to reach third base. Adler is the first WSU pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts in a game since Jace Kaminska fanned 12 at Houston on April 1, 2022, and the first WSU conference Pitcher of the Week since Cameron Bye claimed the honor on April 11, 2022.

The former Cowley College standout also picked up the win in his Shocker debut at Long Beach State, surrendering five runs over six innings to help Wichita State claim the series finale.

Pennington delivered a monster series against Utah Tech, going a staggering 11-for-19 (.579) against the Trailblazers with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI. At one point in the series he went 9-for-10, highlighted by a stretch of hits in five consecutive at-bats. The transfer from Central Missouri provided the most important hit of the series on Friday, slicing a go-ahead double down the right field line to give WSU the lead in extra innings, then followed up his heroics by homering in both games of the doubleheader on Saturday to power the Shockers to a series win.

For the season, Pennington leads the Shockers in batting average (.469), on-base percentage (.469) and slugging percentage (.875), while striking out just once in 32 at-bats.

The Shockers return to action with the home opener on Friday afternoon against Oakland. First pitch from Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field, is set for 3:00 PM.